$25,000 reward offered in Harford post office robbery Wednesday

Benson Post Office robbery

Harford County Sheriff's Office, Homestead Publishing

A composite sketch from witness interviews of a man wanted in connection with the gunpoint robbery of the Benson Post Office between Bel Air and Fallston Wednesday afternoon. A $25,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the robbery.

A composite sketch from witness interviews of a man wanted in connection with the gunpoint robbery of the Benson Post Office between Bel Air and Fallston Wednesday afternoon. A $25,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the robbery. (Harford County Sheriff's Office, Homestead Publishing)

The U.S Postal Service is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a man involved in an armed robbery at the small Benson Post Office between Bel Air and Fallston Wednesday afternoon.

The robbery at the post office, in the 100 block of Connolly Road, was reported at 1:46 p.m., Sheriff's Office spokesman Eddie Hopkins said.

According to a follow up news release from Hopkins issued Thursday, witnesses told police a white male entered the post office and posed as a customer. As the postal worker opened the cash register, the man pulled out a handgun. He then reached over the counter and removed an undisclosed amount of cash from the register.

Thursday afternoon, the sheriff's office released a composite sketch of the robber developed from interviews with witnesses.

Witnesses described the robber as being 30 to 35 years old, 6'1" to 6'2" tall and weighing 190 to 200 pounds. The man was wearing blue pants with red stitching on the sides, a gray pullover hooded sweatshirt, black baseball hat and dark sunglasses,

The robber fled on foot toward Harford Road, Hopkins said.

Sheriff's deputies and Maryland State Police searched the area, aided by a State Police helicopter, but did not find the robber, Hopkins said. U.S. Postal Service inspectors and the FBI are also involved in the investigation.

"We don't know at this point if he got away on foot or had a car somewhere nearby," Hopkins said Wednesday evening.

Nobody was injured in the holdup, Hopkins said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Det. Brian Potts at 410-836-5081 or the Sheriff's Office Northern Precinct at 410-692-7880. The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect responsible for the robbery.

Anyone with information regarding this incident should also contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 (select Option 2). All information will be kept strictly confidential.

Though the Benson Post Office is small, it sits in the middle of a heavy commercial area west of Bel Air near the junction of Routes 1 and 147 (Belair and Harford roads) and the Bel Air Bypass. Neighboring businesses include a Wawa convenience store and the sprawling Jones Junction auto sales complex.

The Maryland State Police Bel Air Barrack is less than a quarter mile east of the post office.